{"id":257980,"date":"2025-07-12T04:17:20","date_gmt":"2025-07-12T04:17:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/257980\/"},"modified":"2025-07-12T04:17:20","modified_gmt":"2025-07-12T04:17:20","slug":"young-couple-stranded-in-spain-after-crooks-rob-passport-and-jewellery-in-60k-car-heist","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/257980\/","title":{"rendered":"Young couple stranded in Spain after crooks rob passport and jewellery in \u00a360k car heist"},"content":{"rendered":"

Anna Higginbottom and Peter Lesisz were robbed of around \u00a360,000 as they prepared to return home to Scotland.\"AnnaAnna and Peter have been robbed of “everything”(Image: Supplied)<\/p>\n

A young Scots couple have been left stranded and in Spain after ruthless thieves ransacked their car in a devastating \u00a360,000 heist<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cHeartbroken\u201d Anna Higginbottom, 27, and her partner Peter Lesisz, 26, had been due to catch a ferry from Bilbao<\/a> to Portsmouth on Tuesday as they made their way back to Scotland from the Spanish town of Denia – where Anna had been living and working.<\/p>\n

The pair stayed in a hostel in Bilbao on Monday night, reassured by staff that the car park had CCTV and was secure. However, by morning, their vehicle had been broken into via the passenger door and had been completely cleaned out by crooks<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve been left with only our phones and each other,\u201d said a distraught Anna. \u201cIt\u2019s a disaster. We have nothing left. We\u2019re just completely devastated<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"TheThe couple are appealing for help(Image: Supplied)<\/p>\n

The couple estimate the total loss<\/a> at around \u00a360,000, with Peter losing around \u00a355,000 worth of rare, specialist car tuning equipment for his Alpine Performance business. This also included pen drives containing a database of custom engine software files built over eight years.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeter\u2019s worked years to build this business,\u201d said holistic wellness coach Anna. \u201cThat equipment isn\u2019t just expensive<\/a> – it\u2019s his entire livelihood. He\u2019s one of the best in the UK at what he does.<\/p>\n

“He has not stopped crying. I’ve never seen him like this. It’s heartbreaking.”<\/p>\n

Anna\u2019s losses<\/a>, valued at around \u00a35,000, included expensive jewellery, clothing, sentimental photos and items from her late mother.<\/p>\n

\"SomeSome of Peter’s equipment which was stolen(Image: Supplied)<\/p>\n

She said: \u201cThat\u2019s what hurts most. The sentimental things – they\u2019re just gone<\/a>. They can\u2019t be replaced.\u201d<\/p>\n

To make matters worse, Peter\u2019s passport was also stolen<\/a>, meaning the couple missed their ferry. Peter must now travel a 10-hour round trip to Madrid to get a temporary passport using money borrowed from family.<\/p>\n

The couple have even had to rely<\/a> on the Spanish social services for emergency accommodation and food.<\/p>\n

Anna continued: \u201cThe police<\/a> haven\u2019t helped us. There\u2019s such a language barrier. We\u2019ve had to do our own investigation. One of my cards was used locally, and we even found the shop. They told us that it was a Moroccan man.<\/p>\n

“We\u2019re terrified that the longer this goes on, the less chance we have of seeing our stuff<\/a> again.\u201d<\/p>\n

The pair have been left so desperate they\u2019ve even considered searching dangerous<\/a> neighbourhoods themselves.<\/p>\n

\"AnnaAnna says they have been left “devastated”(Image: Supplied)<\/p>\n

She added: \u201cLocals warned us we could be stabbed<\/a> or attacked if we went looking in these areas, so we\u2019re scared and out of options.<\/p>\n

“We have done everything we can, but we don\u2019t want to put our lives at risk doing our own investigation<\/a>.”<\/p>\n

\"TheThe couple are looking to GoFundMe for help(Image: Supplied)<\/p>\n

In a final effort to rebuild<\/a>, the couple have launched a GoFundMe to try and recover some of the staggering loss.<\/p>\n

In a post online, Anna wrote: \u201cWe never thought we\u2019d be in this position<\/a> Even \u00a35 would mean the world.\u201d<\/p>\n

If you’d like to support<\/a> Peter and Anna, you can visit their GoFundMe, here – https:\/\/gofund.me\/837db8a7.<\/p>\n

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